Industry | Radio broadcasting, Outdoor advertising |
---|---|
Fate | Reverted back to CBS Radio |
Successor | CBS Radio |
Founded | 1972 |
Founder |
Michael A. Wiener Gerald Carrus |
Defunct | 2005 |
Headquarters | New York City, New York, USA |
Area served
|
United States |
Key people
|
Mel Karmazin |
Owner |
CBS Corporation (1997-2000) "Original" Viacom (now CBS Corporation) (2000-2005) |
Parent |
Westinghouse Electric (1997-2000) National Amusements (2000-2005) |
Website | infinityradio.com |
Infinity Broadcasting Corporation was a radio company that existed from 1972 until 2005. It was founded by Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus. It became associated with popular radio personalities like Opie and Anthony, Howard Stern, Don Imus and Mike Francesa. Infinity merged with CBS Corporation in 1997 and later became part of Viacom in 2000, when CBS and Viacom merged. After the Viacom split in 2005, Infinity changed its name to CBS Radio.
Infinity was founded in 1972 by two former Metromedia executives Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus, with the acquisition of KOME, an FM radio station that served the San Francisco Bay Area, and finally received its license by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a year later. In 1979, Infinity acquired WBCN in Boston.
In 1981, Mel Karmazin was bought in as new president. Karmazin oversaw the operation of New York's WNEW-AM (now WBBR) and WNEW-FM for Metromedia. Soon after, the company acquired fellow New York stations WNEW-FM, WKTU (now WBMP; the present-day WKTU is owned by iHeartMedia), WZRC, and WFAN the following years, followed by WYSP-FM in Philadelphia. In 1983, Infinity absorbed KXYZ in Houston and WJMK-FM and WJJD in Chicago.